The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-07
MR.. CLBVELAND's ATTACHMENT.

exclusively to discussion OF the treasury
surplus and tariff question, and instead of
being uncommonly long, as was expected, it
is considerably shorter than usual. 1t is
direct, and at times vigorous in style, and
carries an air of sincerity and personal con-
viction; but in the opinion of the Journal it
is based on incorrect views of political econ
omy, and abounds with financial fallacies,
adroit Misrepresentation, and mischievous
appeal to presumed popular ignorance and
prejudice The message is in perfect accord
with Mr.. Carlis1e's address on taking the
Speakers chair, and the fact that both give
great prominence to the surplus and tariff
question, to the exclusion of..all others, shows
that the President and Speaker have decided
that the time has come when their party must
do something; it can not longer safely re-
main a spectacle of monumental incompe-
tency.
The first part of the message discusses the
a Treasury surplus. While we think the
President fancifully exaggerates these feat
ures no person will deny that the situation
does demand consideration and action. The
President treats the surplus as condition
fraught with public peril and national calam-
ity, refers to the boarding of "the peoples
money" almost as crime, and to the duty of
releasing it one of the greatest urgency.
He exaggerates this feature of the case for
dramatic effect Neither the welfare nor the
finances Of this country can be seriously dis
turbed by the accumulation of a surplus of
$780, 900, 600, or one even much larger. The
accumulation Of the surplus has not injured
the people, and its existence but slightly
threatens their prosperity welfare. The
Presidents repeated illusions to ''the distress
of the people," 'the relief Of the people, 'the
demands Of business" etc, mean simply
Wall street. It is a figure of speech, by
which part is placed for the whole. The
Presidents argument on this point is mainly
for Wall street. The people at large are not
worrying about the surplus, which, by the
way, is even now less than one-fourth as
large the Democrats said it was in the
campaign of 'S4, if the Democrats told the
truth in that canvass. Nevertheless, all
must admit that excessive taxation and the
accumulation of surplus in the Treasury
is not right. The question is how to meet
this situation. One way would be to let the
revenue continue and enlarge the operations
of the government so as to utilize and absorb
the surplus as in coast defenses. public works
and other measures of general welfare. I'm
doubtedly this could be done in such way
as to benefit the entire people and the country
at large. Another way is to limit the revenue
to the actual necessary expenses of admins
tering the government. and to do this by re-
ducing taxation. That would abolish the
plus by reducing the revenue. Admitting
that this is the best way, the question arises
where and how to reduce, what revenue and
how much 10 cut off. Here is where the road
forks Under the pretext of abolishing the
surplus the Democracy propose to make
wholesale attack on the protective tariff sys-
tenn. This is the plan of campaign agreed on
by the President and Mr.. Carlisle, and large
part of the message is given to expanding and
enforcing this idea. All that is said in refer
ence to the evils of surplus simply paves the
way for recommending the practical abolition
of tariff duties. There is where the Presidents
ignorance of political economy, of social sci
ence and the laws of business in. This
part of the message is conspicuous for its
erroneous statements, false reasoning and
wrong conclusions Without stopping now to
cite these in detail, the Journal will simply
say that it differs from the President in toto
revenue system and regulate the needed
changes in the tariff. We deny that the tariff
duties in whole in part an oner-
Gus burden on the people, or that
their abolition in whole or in part
would permanently cheaper manufactured
articles to the consumer. We hold that Amer
lean Industries and American labor are alike
benefited by protective tariff, that the
profits of the manufacturer and the wages of
the workmen are both increased, and that all
classes all industries and all interests share
in the benefits The President regards the
tariff as barrier between the people and pros
perity, system of organized extortion by
which the many are made to pay tribute
to few, and as a cunningly devised
scheme for increasing the prices of the neces-
saries of life and making the rich richer and
the poor poorer. We have heard that kind of
talk before and all that the President says on
this topic has been said thousand times in
the weekly Democratic press of the country.
He does not advance new idea or a new ar
gument in favor of free trade-which is the
real idea of both the President and the party
he representative he makes some of the old
ones conspicuous by parading them in pres
idential message. The whole argument in